Now, this something completely new for me. Rolleigns :)

It jumped me during a sleepless night and I had to write it.

I'm not sure how it worked out and thus it's up to you if this goes on or not. You tell me, guys ;3

Enjoy and tell me what you think!

Fighting together. Defending each other. Being strong... being one. Invincible. Unbreakable.

But the unbreakable... was cracking.

It was a storyline that made them a team, but they had become friends over it. It was... a fucking storyline.

The Shield was breaking apart, oh so very slowly and if one listened close enough, a threatening little sound of tension could be heard, always humming in the background. This group was supposed to fall to pieces, it was the storyline. To pieces... two pieces... And just like it was planned out it was him and Seth becoming The Team.

The funny thing was that somehow it had always been like that. The being worried about Seth in front of the camera was part of the show, but most and for all it was... real. Every time he saw the other man lying there, cringing in pain or unmoving, it was real worry that made him cradle him in his arms, made his guts boil in rage. It was as real as Seth's tactile nature towards him. The jumping him, the hugging, clinging. And he enjoyed every single minute of it, in and outside the ring.

And somewhere along the line this friendship had become more for him than just being friends. With every touch he felt a spark and every gaze fed his longing and every time Seth said his name he felt a current pull at him, pulling him towards the other man.

Automatically he held his hand towards Seth as his friend crawled into his direction for a tag. Beside his own hand he saw... his... hand and he heard his voice calling for Seth to tag him in. He. The second piece.

Stretching his arm a bit further towards Seth, he called it over and over again... come on, baby... and from the corner of his eyes he saw the second piece look over to him with a deathly stare. That, too, was real. They were friends, yet in a way not. Not anymore. In a way. Complicated... As The Shield started to crack, their friendship had started to crack, too, had become difficult, straining. Not always, but often enough. Too often. He had no idea when he had started to think of him as the second piece, but it matched their situation. And sometimes the thought that maybe it was Seth who was the putty in the cracks of their real friendship.

He blinked and just as Seth was close enough for a tag, he practically jumped over the top rope... tagging with Seth. Then suddenly Seth was ripped away from them, was lifted and thrown over the top rope and out of the ring. And for a ridiculously long second his world stopped turning as his eyes found Seth lying there. Unmoving.

His feet carried him over to his friend before the world around him came back to life and he didn't care what was happening in the ring. What was happening to him. All he cared about was the man he secretly held so dear to his heart. Slipping his hand under Seth's head, he called his name softly. For a much too long moment there was no reaction and his chest constricted. But this was Seth and this man was tough. Again he called his name. His fingers slipped deeper into the bicolored locks while his other found Seth's hand, squeezing it gently.

Faintly he heard a three-count and the cheering of the audience, telling him that he had been pinned. He didn't care because all that was important this very second was a light, answering hold on his hand and chocolate brown eyes meeting his gaze.

"Hey, Rome," Seth said a bit breathless, but the smile on his lips and the twinkling in his eyes told him that his friend was okay.

Roman smiled back. And even now he wished he could drown in those chocolate seas...

With a murmured come on he gently helped Seth up and like every time, Seth's arm circled his neck for support while his other hand found Roman's vest to hold on to him and Roman's arm stayed wrapped around the slender waist a bit longer than necessary, but... his friend didn't seem to mind.

In the ring Dean was lying curled up, holding his middle. They had lost the match, just like it had been scheduled. Only... that it had been supposed to last a few minutes longer. It hadn't been Seth's fault and it hadn't been Roman's. Dean had tagged in too soon, should have let Seth tag Roman. Then it would have been his turn.

A slight pressure on his neck made him step forward as Seth pulled him towards the ring, where Dean rolled over the the ropes. Like so often he missed the feeling of Seth, all pressed up against him, as the other man slipped out of his arm to help Dean and stop him from crumbling to the ground and Roman helped, because Seth asked him to.

The way back to their locker room was quiet and the way Seth walked, a little hunched, breathing a tad to strained, didn't go unnoticed by Roman. The very moment they entered the backstage area, he let go of Dean and watched as Seth tried to wriggle out of Dean's arm, not without a bit of difficulty. Dean didn't seem to be interested in letting him go. Only when Roman peeled the persistent arm away from his friend, Seth was free. Immediately he leaned against the big Samoan with a quiet groan.

"Where does it hurt?" Roman asked worried, just like always, as he tried to get a good hold on the leaner man without hurting him even more.

"Crashed onto my side."

Seth's voice was still a bit breathless, causing Roman to steer him towards the trainer's room, taking most of the weight.

"Woah, hey, wait! Where are we going?"

Not pausing his way to the trainer's room with a more or less cooperative Seth in his arm, he muttered: "Trainer's room. You need to get a check up."

"No, come on, Rome. I'm fine, really," Seth protested as he struggled half-heartedly in his hold. "All I need is a hot shower and few minutes to breathe through."

"Sure," Roman huffed, shaking his head. "You can't even stand straight, Seth."

"Please. I promise I'm gonna go there if I start to feel bad or something. Okay?"

Not the words stopped him, but Seth's eyes as he gazed down at his friend. Big, brown, brilliant eyes asking him not to drag him to the trainers. Handsome bastard. He always did that, looking at him with those puppy eyes and he knew Roman couldn't refuse him anything.

Reluctantly loosening his hold on the lean frame, Roman muttered: "I'm gonna keep an eye on you..."

Stepping in front of him, Seth looped his fingers into the straps of the big man's vest, tilted his head a bit to the side and those rich brown orbs roamed his face as he said: "I know. You always do."

A soft tug, pulling him forward... towards Seth... and it took all his willpower not to close the few inches which separated them and just claim those tempting lips. His heart was speeding up a bit. So often he found his poor heart run and run, fast, never getting closer to the man he loved.

"Wonderful, I could die over here and you wouldn't care," Dean growled from somewhere behind Roman and the moment was over.

With a pat on his chest, Seth smiled at him before he made his way over to Dean and for a second or two, Roman only stared into nothing, wishing Seth would just see... and return his feelings.

"Stop whining, old man. Bad weeds grow tall," Seth teased and Roman turned around just in time to see Dean put his arm around his shoulder.

Again.

And while they walked to their locker room, Roman's eyes stayed fixed on Seth, who still walked a tad too hunched for his taste...

Ten minutes later they were standing under the running showers and Dean and Seth were chatting. And Roman was watching. Seth. Who still wasn't moving as easy as he should. And there was a suspicious shadow forming on his left side. Three minutes, that was exactly how long Roman could hold himself back before he stepped up to Seth who fell silent mid-sentence, looking at him with a surprised expression.

"Rome?"

Putting a hand on the sore side, Roman rumbled: "That doesn't look good, Seth. I'd feel better if you'd go to see a trainer."

A beautiful and amused little smile spread over the other man's face as he blanketed Roman's hand on his side.

"Stop worrying. I told you I'm fine," Seth assured him, while lightly patting the big hand. "If you keep up looking like this, the frown will be etched to your pretty face permanently, big man."

It was like falling into a trance and it happened more often lately when he was close to Seth. For those moments his whole universe was filled with chocolate brown, warming eyes, a voice which made his body hum and the faint scent of vanilla that left him longing to taste it. Him. His fingers splayed over soft and slick skin.

"Aaw, how sweet," Dean chipped in. "He's in his ridiculous mother hen mode."

Shooting Dean a grin, Seth quipped: "Don't listen to him, Rome, he's just jealous because you're never mother hen all over him."

Pursing is lips, Dean gazed back and forth between them, before his gaze stayed on Roman as he uttered: "Yeah... how come he's so overprotective over you that he can't even spare a glance for others?"

At those words Roman saw a question in Seth's eyes appear. One he wasn't sure of if he wanted to be in the uncomfortable situation to have to answer it and his heart dropped to his guts. Pulling his hand out from under his friend's, he went back to his own shower, trying to get finished at speed record. He wanted, needed to get out of here. This wasn't his day. Definitely not, because he couldn't think straight, his thoughts revolving around Seth constantly. Everything seemed to throw him off track. Glances, touches... and he ended up in a trance. Fucking dangerous...

A hand on his back made him jump.

"Sorry, Rome..."

The touch sent a tingle down his spine and goose bumps all over his body. Fuck, just because of an innocent touch. Gosh... he was in pretty deep. Much too deep...

"No need to," he replied quietly, rinsing the foam out of his hair.

"You're pissed."

He halted for the briefest of moments. And then he sighed audibly.

"I'm not. I'm tired, that's all."

Turning the water off, he squeezed the water out of his wet mane and turned around, feeling suddenly somehow really exhausted.

"So you're not coming to the after-show party?"

Disappointment was coating Seth's voice and the pout on the handsome face could be used as a weapon. Lethal pouting.

"You've heard him, he's tired. You're gonna survive a night without him," Dean snorted, cocking an eyebrow.

Who asked you? Roman thought, pressing his lips to a tight line.

But maybe it really wasn't a good idea to go to the party. Not when he wasn't in control of himself. This wasn't the first and sure as hell not the last party, so yeah, he would stay away before he would do something stupid and embarrassing.

Like accidentally falling onto Seth's lips in a drunken stupor.

"Hardly," Seth grinned, while patting Roman's broad chest.

It drew a small smile from Roman as he passed his friend, reflexively smoothing a hand over the bicolored hair and as he walked out of the room, he heard Seth call that he would stay a few more minutes under the nice, hot water. Seth... water... hot water, cascading down this enticing body... steam, wrapping around him like a veil... and those sounds of contentment...

Quickening his steps, Roman fled to his locker, sat down heavily on the bench and scrubbed his hands through his face before he hung his head in defeat. As a precaution he leaned a bit forward, somehow folding his arms in his lap to hide the interest his southern regions were evincing. And none too soon. Only a few seconds later Dean entered the room, walking over to his own locker without a word or a glance.

The air was filled with the sound of the running shower and quiet rustling of things being packed away or retrieved from bags as Dean got ready.

"So you're really not coming to the after show party?" Dean asked casually, glancing over to him as he stuffed things into his gym bag.

"I think I said that I'm tired," Roman grumbled and eventually he dared to sit up straight to pull his own gym bag over to him.

He didn't look over as Dean sat down beside him.

"Why do I have the feeling that it's just an excuse?" the other man murmured while tying his sneakers.

"Why would you care?" he retorted, still not looking over to his teammate.

There was a pat on his towel clad thigh and the following answer caught him off guard in a way, dimmed the anger which was smoldering in him for a while now a bit.

"Look, Roman, I know it's been... difficult... between us lately but..." Dean trailed off and the hand on Roman's leg vanished. "I care because you are my friend."

And then Dean hooked an arm around Roman's neck, pulling him into a quick half-hug and it felt like back then, before he noticed the first cracks in the team and for that moment he wished it could be like it had been at that time. Being friends. They all. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Have you ever thought about telling him?"

Now he looked at Dean, trying his best not to show that he had put his finger on the very spot.

He stood up and he began to throw his clothes on, muttering: "What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"So you're telling me that you're not interested in him?"

"He's my friend, Dean. Nothing more, nothing less."

Silence reigned for a long moment between them in which Roman stubbornly avoided to look at the other man again, stuffing his things into his gym bag, because, fuck, he wanted out of here, like, now. But again it was Dean's words which caused him to gaze at the man involuntary.

"Good. That's good. Then you don't mind if I..."

"He's not into man," Roman huffed, cutting him off before the words could leave his mouth.

"Says who? Maybe he is and just doesn't want to peddle it?" Dean asked innocently.

Those words caused two things at the same time. Anger began to boil in his guts again. And at the same time he felt a giddy tugging at the mere idea that Seth... No. No way. He shook his head softly, trying to shake the thought off.

"Seth has a girlfriend," he said, maybe more to himself than to Dean.

And maybe Dean could hear the anger returning to his voice but if, he didn't show it.

"I don't want to marry him. All I want is a bit of fun." With a smug smile Dean glanced over to the shower and back to Roman, adding hushed: "He wouldn't be the first man who gives it a... shot."

The anger threatened to boil over and jealousy reared its ugly head and although he kept telling himself over and over again that Dean was only trying to tease, test and provoke him, he failed on staying calm.

Slamming his locker close, Roman growled: "He's not a toy!"

Getting up from the bench the other man grinned, a tad too wicked for his taste, but then suddenly Dean held his hands up pacifying. It was too late though. Something deep within Roman snapped and his fingers curled into Dean's shirt, shoving him against the locker and as he leaned closer to his... teammate... he noticed that there was a fine trembling running through himself as his blood pumped through his veins and for the first time ever he saw Dean... scared. Blinking in confusion, he let go of him. This wasn't his style. This wasn't him. And Dean was his friend after all. In a way...

"Jesus, Roman, it was a joke! Calm down!"

Slowly he stepped back, grabbed his bag and just as he turned to leave, he saw Seth standing in the doorway to the shower room, watching them in bewilderment.

"You leaving?" Seth asked slowly, leaving Roman wondering how much he had seen… or heard.

"Uhm, I... yeah," he replied, giving his friend a crooked smile. "Don't stay out too long."

There was a muttered yes, mom as he was being pulled into a hug. Soft, warm skin... and the faint scent of vanilla... Much too soon the hug ended and when he left it was a warning glance he sent Dean.

And it was the memory of Seth's presence, the lingering, faint scent of vanilla, that accompanied him on his way to a lonely night.